Yesterday I infused 6oz of El Scorpion Mezcal with 1/3 cup whole French Roast coffee beans. After 24 hours, I strained the Mezcal – it was a dark, rich chocolate color. Almost a full ounce of it surrendered itself to the beans. I poured half for today (later on today, rather) and half into my oak barrel. I will report back in several days…

Today I want to discuss recipe substitutions. When I first started this home bar endeavor a few years ago, I felt beholden to using the exact ingredients in a given recipe. Not having the perspective or context to decide for myself what subs would work, etc., I followed w/ blind faith.

Now… bump that! Home bars are mad expensive, yo! I have bills to pay and I do love to eat as well as imbibe (typical, right?! 🙂 Although, I know I spend much more on the latter…)

Now that my tastes have developed and I have a more well-rounded understanding of various flavor profiles (e.g. orange based liqueurs, amer/amari, herbal liqueurs, various types of simple…) I feel confident in making due with the bottles I have on deck, and not using strict recipe interpretation as an excuse to go to Schneider’s on Capitol Hill (again!).

I had to ask myself: Could I make a Mai Tai with the spirits I already have now?

I decided I could.

Also, there are multiple Mai Tai variations. If you’re interested in the history of the drink – this is an interesting read about Don the Beachcomber vs Trader Vic and who actually created the drink first.

On to the drink (and pic)! I made a riff on this recipe that consists of light (which I added to make boozier, hence the light color) and dark rum, fresh lime juice, rock candy simple, orgeat, and orange liqueur …

What is YOUR favorite Mai Tai recipe? Did you make any substitutions? Let me know 🙂

*Cachaca is essentially Brazilian Rum Agricole, rum distilled from sugar cane juice instead of molasses sugarcane byproduct. It is the main ingredient in the Caipirinha (which I spell wrong e’retime!) cocktail, which also includes fresh lime juice and sugar.

I cracked my first coconut. I didn’t maim myself. More on Tiki later – once I further educate myself. Please check out Intstagram #tikiaf – cuz those guys got it covered. Also check out @homebargirl and @ntitz cuz they know Tiki…

If you have ever tasted an aged spirit (of course you have tasted “the brown”… ), or a flavor bomb liqueur made from over a a hundred different herbs (with a color named after it!), then the nuance of a neutral, or “new make” spirit such as vodka can pale in comparison.

I have certainly graduated from viewing an extra dirty martini as a complex drink! (ma! look at me, adding an extra ingredient to my grey goose…! What’s “vermouth”, again?)

Luckily, a multitude of infusions are possible! Fruit, herbs, veggies – and more 🙂 As we know, we’re even infusing spirits with fat nowadays…

Alright, to get down to business – I have specifically written this post to talk about a vodka infusion I did over a year ago. I infused some off brand Eastern European vodka (I do not remember the brand – do I have to remind you all how often I drink?!) with fresh jalapeños and basil.

The infusion is super easy, slice as many jalapeños as you like – based on your heat preference – and remove the seeds, as they are bitter. I used five small ones. Put them in a mason jar and add fresh basil leaves – I used a handful (which is equivalent to the fresh herbs in small plastic containers available in most grocery stores). Use of a tea ball infuser is also an option. I’ve used basil leaves loosely and with tea ball – and found no real difference in the process. Ok, well, the tea ball was slightly better, as it did keep the leaves contained …

Add 750ml vodka to the jar. Which vodka? This one is a judgement call. Using your favorite brand may insure you’ll love your infusion, while using a less expensive brand is fine too, as you’re creating your own damn flavor! If your favorite vodka is also inexpensive – score 🙂